This Week in Geek (2/15/21–2/21/21)

Welcome to This Week in Geek, your guide to events of interest to the Minnesota geek community for the week of Monday, February 15, to Sunday, February 21.

Please note: Due to risks from the global COVID-19 pandemic, and in following current health guidelines recommending both social distancing and limited travel, this column will exclusively share virtual and drive-through events. During this time we will be including local, national, and international events, as well as separating them into weekly and daily categories. As time goes on and guidelines change, in-person events may be reintroduced.

One-Time and Weekly Events

Wizard World Virtual Experiences

What: Convention
When: Monday, February 15, through Sunday, February 21; various times
Where: Virtual via Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube

If you’re getting stir-crazy, and want to connect with fandoms, Wizard World’s Virtual Experiences may be able to help bring some of the convention experience to the comfort of your home. Check the website for details regarding particular events, but know that they include a free Q&A livestream and additional options for paid experiences. This week features experiences for fans of Legally Blonde, Candyman, Clerks, and more.

Virtual Breakfast with Penguins

What: Family, Food & Drink
When: Monday, February 15, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook Live

There are many perfect things in the world. Breakfast foods and penguins rank pretty highly in the set of perfect things, so why not bring them together and watch penguins, learn about the South Pole, and enjoy breakfast. Tickets are $25, or $20 for members of Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo.

Virtual Family Dinosaur Night

What: Educational
When: Monday, February 15, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Use the magic of Zoom to take part in a night of dino discovery! This is a great chance to compare fact and fiction, test your knowledge, and marvel at creatures that once walked the earth.

Online Creative Night

What: Arts, Community
When: Monday, February 15, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Google Meet

Let your creativity shine with drawing, painting, crafting, or whatever your heart desires at Creative Night, a weekly event put on by Crafty Geek and the Geek Partnership Society. This is a free event and a great opportunity to work on projects in great company.

Gourmet Date for Good: Singles Awareness Day with Matt Bellassai

What: Food & Drink
When: Monday, February 15, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual event

This cook-along event will bring critical awareness to the plight of single folks in the aftermath of Valentine’s Day, while also raising funds to support the Independent Restaurant Coalition. Whole Foods Market (owned by Amazon) will be matching contributions up to $50,000. So, raise funds for a good cause and make a chocolate lava cake.

University of California, Riverside Writers Week

What: Books, Comics
When: Tuesday, February 16, through Saturday, February 20
Where: Virtual via Crowdcast

Join UC Riverside for its 44th annual Writers Week, featuring five days of sessions and special presentations from both renowned and emerging authors. Guests include Nalo Hopkinson, Laila Lalami, John Jennings, Michael Torres, Tommy Pico, and many more. Prefestival events take place on Saturday, February 13, with the official festival starting on Tuesday, February 16. Most festival events are free to attend.

Not-So-Silent Planet: Animal

What: Books, Arts
When: Tuesday, February 16, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual; details provided upon registration

The Twin Cities’ “first open-mic dedicated to speculative interpretations of myth” returns with stories of animals. The featured performers for February’s session are regulars Vu Dang, Michael Merriam, Margo Prescott, and Damian Sheridan, with up-and-coming playwright Nissa Nordland as special guest teller! Tickets are free and there is a suggested donation of $5.

The Black Russian—Book Discussion with Author Vladimir Alexandrov

What: Books, Music, Community
When: Wednesday, February 17, at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA), Russian American Jews in Minnesota (RAJMN), and St. Paul Jewish Federation present a discussion of The Black Russian, the true story of Frederick Bruce Thomas, impresario of pre-revolutionary Moscow, and “Sultan of Jazz.” Join author Vladimir Alexandrov and TMORA’s chief curator Dr. Masha Zavialova for this deep dive into Thomas’s life.

A Trip to the Moon: The Films of Georges Méliès

What: Movies, Educational
When: Wednesday, February 17, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Go on a visual journey through early cinema with the works of magician-turned-filmmaker Georges Méliès. See Georges’s foundational work and have it put in extra context by Denny Daniel, founder of the Museum of Interesting Things. Donations for this event will contribute directly to the NAC Artist Fellows program.

Twin Cities Playtest

What: Gaming, Educational
When: Wednesday, February 17, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitch

This online-only playtest event ran by the Twin Cities chapter of the International Game Developer’s Association highlights in-development games by streaming them to Twitch, and by allowing participants to test them with a service called Parsec. See the event for all of the details on how to participate as a developer or a player.

Fireside Reading Series: Margi Preus

What: Books
When: Wednesday, February 17, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Get cozy this winter with the Fireside Reading Series presented by the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library. These free events will feature readings from notable authors over Zoom. This week’s chat is with Margi Preus, discussing Village of Scoundrels.

Virtual Transmission

What: Music, Nightlife
When: Wednesday, February 17, and Saturday, February 20, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitch

The popular Transmission dance night is moving to virtual space every Wednesday and Saturday. DJ Jake Rudh will be bringing New Wave, Alternative, and more ’80s-centric greats to the safety of your homes. So, dance, dance, dance to the Radio (or, in this case, Twitch stream).

National Air and Space Museum Live Chat: Mars Rover Perseverance Landing

What: Science & Tech
When: Thursday, February 18, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook

Join the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution for a live chat. Ask questions and learn about different topics with subject-matter experts. This week’s talk will focus on the Mars Rover landing.

Crafty Geek/Make It Sew

What: Arts, Meetup
When: Thursday, February 18, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Google Meet

The Geek Partnership Society’s Crafty Geek club and its subclub Make It Sew meet Thursday evenings on Google Meet and invite you to “bring your crafty stuff to do” (online). This is a great chance to show all your creative pals your in-home crafting space.

HEROES

What: Music
When: Friday, February 19, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitch

Celebrate life and another week with an evening dance party put on by DJ Chris Ewen. Fans of Jake Rudh’s Transmission dance night will see a lot to love here, with a focus on post punk, new wave, and old-school goth music. Dance it up from the safety of home!

Truth to Power (Virtual Screening)

What: Music, Movies
When: Friday, February 19, through Thursday, February 25; various times
Where: Virtual screening

Sound Unseen presents Truth to Power, a documentary film following Serj Tankian (Grammy-winning lead singer of System of a Down). This film follows Serj backstage and into the worlds of social change, as Serj has leveraged his voice towards social-justice movements. Tickets are $12.

GalaxyCon Live

What: Community, Convention
When: Friday, February 19, through Sunday, February 21; various times
Where: Virtual via video chat

GalaxyCon, a convention for fans of various genre properties, will be returning to live virtual events throughout the year. These events are a great way to bring the convention experience home with a mix of free and premium panels, chats, autographs, virtual shout-outs, and more. Check the website for full details and pricing information, but this week includes events for fans of David Tennant, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Batman: The Animated Series, and more.

Bald Eagle Watching Days—Virtual for 2021

What: Educational, Family
When: Saturday, February 20, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual stream

The Ferry Bluff Eagle council is bringing the fun and excitement of Bald Eagle Watching Days virtual for 2021. This event is a great chance to see some amazing birds and learn! This is a family-friendly event!

Music from the Time of the 1918 Pandemic

What: Music
When: Sunday, February 21, at 5:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual

This is a great chance to engage with a familiar bit of history through music. Look back to a time of pandemic from about a century in the past, and the way that music was impacted in that different, but all-so-similar time. Tickets for this event are on a sliding scale, with a suggested donation of $20.

Daily Events

MSP Film Society Virtual Cinema

What: Movies
When: Daily, various times
Where: Virtual via video stream

The MSP Film Society is continuing to make independent films available to the community while theaters are closed and under reduced occupancy through their virtual cinema. Check out their website for full details, including current and upcoming films, as well as ticket pricing.

Alamo Drafthouse OnDemand

What: Movies, Community
When: Daily, various times
Where: Virtual via Scener

The Alamo Drafthouse has taken its curated approach to film online to keep bringing the weird, great, bad, and amazing to the public in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic. Check this space for live events like watch parties, exclusive releases, and more (only this time you’ll be required to provide your own snacks and drinks). Check the website for all of the current and upcoming films, events, and prices.

Sofi Tukker Daily DJ Set

What: Music
When: Daily, at 12:00 p.m., and Tuesdays, at 9:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitch, Instagram, and Facebook

House-music duo Sofi Tukker go live everyday at noon for a DJ set that includes popular dance tracks, original music, and community interaction. Fans can chat with the band, as well as send in recordings of themselves ahead of time that may be mixed into daily sets. On Tuesdays, Sofi Tukker plays an extended set at 9:00 p.m., and features a guest DJ during the noon time slot. Be advised that the music and hosts are not censored and this may not be the best livestream for younger music fans.

Kidz Bop Daily Dance Break

What: Family, Music
When: Weekdays, at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via YouTube

Get your little ones moving with Kidz Bop’s daily dance break. Every weekday, they’ll be livestreaming a different dance-along video to help kids stay active and burn off some energy.

Met Opera Streams

What: Theater & Comedy, Music
When: Daily, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual via video stream

Even though the Metropolitan Opera in New York has gone dark in these challenging times, the show will go on. “Each day, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series is being made available for free streaming on the Met website.” Check the website for this week’s schedule. Streams will be available for a full 23 hours and can also be accessed through the Met Opera On Demand apps.

So, which of these events will you be attending? What events would you like to see featured in the future? Let us know in the comments section below or contact us via email. And don’t forget to add your events to the Twin Cities Geek Community Calendar!